Rodgers: We need mental consistency
Brendan Rodgers believes Liverpool need to improve their 'mental resilience' in order to avoid a repeat of defeats like that witnessed in Southampton before the international break.
The Reds went into the contest at St Mary's on the back of three straight league wins - including a victory the previous weekend over Tottenham.
Rodgers has spent time analysing what went wrong and believes mental attributes come into play.
"It was very disappointing," said the boss. "I'm a very optimistic coach and one that is very positive. I'll always tend to look at where we can gain positives from a performance but I've got to say that against Southampton there were none. That was the brutal truth of it.
"We didn't perform - it's as simple as that. But now the landscape has changed and we need to go into the next game and look to win. I think we will see that reaction and the players will come back focused and concentrated on doing that.
"The single biggest thing to have come out of it was that it reinforced that, at this level, if you're not right on your game, [you'll get punished]. This is a league where there is not too much of a difference between the top and the bottom teams. But you have to make sure that in every single game you are consistent and that you are ready right from the beginning.
"Unfortunately for us, we weren't. We couldn't have gone into the game in greater confidence but we found ourselves 1-0 down after five or six minutes. Then it becomes very difficult when you go 2-0 down.
"We analysed it and looked at it and you have to give credit to Southampton as well. They started very well and really managed to continue that.
"But for us it's about getting that mental consistency, to look to ensure that we are nice and solid and that we are hard to beat, especially away from home. Then you build your platform from there."
Up next for Rodgers and his team are Aston Villa on Easter Sunday - and they'll be desperate to avoid a repeat of the Christian Benteke-inspired 3-1 loss at Anfield in December.
Rodgers added: "We know they have threats. So it's going to be a really tough game and it's a game that we need to be ready for physically and mentally.
"Obviously Christian Benteke is a threat up front. I went to watch them a few weeks ago against Manchester City and it was a very close game.
"They're a team that will keep going right until the very end. So for us, it's just about making sure that we bring the game that we have done apart from the Southampton game and play the way we have been in the last few months.
"It's even more important in this game that we have mental resilience and if we can do that, it gives us a great opportunity to get a result."
Liverpool have eight games remaining and still have a chance of qualifying for Europe.
On the aim now for the remainder of the season, Rodgers said: "Before Southampton I felt the game would set us up for the last eight games with a real possibility of building momentum and seeing where it takes us.
"Could we get to the top four? We probably could. But I think the landscape has changed since that.
"After the result against Southampton, you can't really look any further than this Aston Villa game.
"It's just a case now in the remaining games, of finishing as strong as we possibly can and looking to make sure that we're really building a strong platform to start quickly next season. That is the message.
"We've got performance goals that we need to improve on. The team kept 12 clean sheets last year in the season and we've got 11 up until now, so we're looking to improve on that record.
"We'll look to continue with our goalscoring form because we're in a great moment offensively. And then we'll just continue to work and get that balance right. If we can do that, we can have a strong finish to the end of the season."